


The 7th Day of the 7th Month

by tentsubasa



Category: Kiniro no Corda | La Corda d'Oro
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Summer Festival, Tanabata
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-07
Updated: 2014-09-07
Packaged: 2018-02-16 13:16:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2271120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tentsubasa/pseuds/tentsubasa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Join Shouko Fuyuumi and Keiichi Shimizu as they share in the miracle of the first star-crossed lovers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. An Unexpected Invitation

**Hello! I noticed that there was only one other chaptered fic (on FFN) for this couple, so I decided to try my hand at it. Keiichi Shimizu is a character that I have difficulty writing, and Shouko Fuyuumi isn't a whole lot better, so I'm sorry if it's not very good. I have a really hard time getting into their heads. I'm not sure how well this couple would work in reality, but they look cute together, and I think as they grow older and mature, they'd become a lovely couple.**   
  
**Disclaimer: I do not own _Kiniro no Corda_ or any affiliates.**

* * *

*Ring Ring*  
  
"H-Hello?"  
  
"Hi Fuyuumi-chan. It's Hino."  
  
"Oh! Kaho-senpai! H-Hello! How are you?"  
  
"I've been alright. School is school. I was wondering, are you busy this weekend?"  
  
"Oh! N-No, I'm not busy this weekend, Kaho-senpai. D-Did you have something in mind?"  
  
"Actually, I was wondering if you'd like to come with me to the Tanabata festival on Saturday. They're going to have a big fireworks display over the river and everything. Hihara-senpai told me about it at school today. He and Yunoki-senpai were planning to go, and he invited me along and told me to invite others. Would you be interested?"  
  
"Umm…O-Ok. W-What time?"  
  
"How about we meet at the main entrance of the park at 6pm? That should give us enough time to get some food and enjoy the festival before the fireworks start at 9pm."  
  
"Ok. I-I guess I'll see you at school. Umm…W-Were you planning to wear a yukata, Kaho-senpai?"  
  
"Oh! That's a great idea! I didn't even think about that. I think I will. I can't wait to see yours Fuyuumi-chan!"  
  
"I look forward to seeing yours too Kaho-senpai."  
  
"Well, then, I'll see you on Saturday."  
  
"Ok. I'll see you then, Kaho-senpai."  
  
*click*  
  
 _A festival, huh? I don't care too much for them because the large crowds make me a bit nervous, but the way Kaho-senpai talked about it did make it sound like fun…I should look at it as an opportunity to be more bold and confident._  
  
Shouko nodded to herself before getting ready for bed.

* * *

**If you haven't guessed already, Tanabata is a Japanese holiday celebrated on the 7th day of the 7th month, or July 7. I based the festival partially on the huge festival they hold in Sendai. The day it occurs is different though. If you stick around, then there'll be a chapter dedicated to explaining the signifigance of Tanabata. (^_^)**


	2. A Strange Feeling

"Ow…!" Shouko whimpered holding her head where something had sharply hit her head. A few scores fell out of her bag when she jarred it.  
  
"I'm sorry…Did I…hit your head…Fuyuumi-san…? I…didn't see you…" Keiichi apologized, holding his outdoor shoes.  
  
"Ah! N-No, It's my fault…I-I didn't realize that there was anyone else, and I foolishly stood up too quickly…" She glanced at where his shoe cubby-hole was.  
  
 _I guess his shoe cubby is a few slots above mine. I'm surprised we've never run into each other here before._  
  
"You dropped…some scores…Fuyuumi-san…" Keiichi bent down to collect them.  
  
"Oh! Th-Thank you! I-I didn't even notice! I-I can get them so please don't worry about it!" Shouko also crouched down to collect her scores.  
  
He smiled sleepily at her. "It's…no trouble…Fuyuumi-san…After all…if something happened to your scores…it would be difficult for you…wouldn't it…?"  
  
She nodded mutely. It was true.  
  
When they both reached for the last score, their fingers touched. A strange shock jolted up her arm. Shouko jerked her hand back. She nervously snuck a glance at Keiichi who was serenely picking up the score as if nothing had happened. They quietly stood up and Keiichi extended the scores to her.  
  
"Here are your scores…Fuyuumi-san…I'm sorry…for causing them to spill…earlier…" He looked at her with his usual zoning expression.  
  
"Ah…Th-Thank you…" she whispered, reaching out for them, averting her gaze momentarily.  
  
Again their fingers brushed. Shouko could feel a blush creeping up her neck and her cheeks as she quickly took the scores and fled the scene. She hurriedly ran to her classroom and took her seat. She stared at the scores on her desk, her fingertips tingling. She held her hand up to her face to examine her fingers. _What was that?_

* * *

**Yeah...so this chapter had absolutely nothing to do with Tanabata, but I figured that it would be weird for them to just jump into the festival scenes that I wrote for them, so I figured I'd better write in some filler fluff so that at least one party was attracted to the other. Or at least confused about her feelings...**


	3. The Beginning

Nervously Shouko stood waiting at the entrance of the festival. She wore a light pink yukata with white outlines of cherry branches splashed all over the fabric and carried a small, matching drawstring purse. Her obi was a sea-green that matched her hair and she had on white, heeled sandals. She glanced around and nervously looked at the clock across the way.  
  
 _I hope I'll be able to find Kaho-senpai and the others. I can't believe I left my cell phone at home! Why do I always seem to mess up something?_  
  
"There you are Fuyuumi-chan!" Kahoko walked quickly over to the girl with a bright smile. "I'm glad I found you so quickly. My cell phone battery is kind of low, so I was hoping to try and cut down on the number of calls I'd need to make tonight."  
  
"O-Oh, it's fine Kaho-senpai. Actually, I forgot my cell phone, so it wouldn't have done any good to call me," Shouko replied in relief. For a few seconds she admired Kahoko's yukata. It was purple with red and white flowers on it. Around her waist she wore a shiny red obi and had a purple drawstring purse and red, heeled sandals. Shyly she complimented, "Your yukata is very nice, Kaho-senpai."  
  
Kahoko smiled back happily, "Thanks! Yours is really cute too, Fuyuumi-chan. Pink is a good color for you."  
  
"Th-Thank you…" she replied bashfully.  
  
"Kaho-cha~n!" A voice cut through the air, drawing their attention to the presence of most of the other concours participants.  
  
"We finally found you!" Kazuki grinned happily.  
  
"You both look very nice," Azuma complimented. "Yukatas really suit you both."  
  
"Ah! Th-Thank you, Yunoki-senpai…" Shouko blushed.  
  
"Is Tsukimori…senpai…coming…?" Keiichi asked dreamily.  
  
"Tch…I doubt that guy would show up," Ryoutaro snorted. "He probably can't afford to miss out on his precious practice to actually gain any life experiences."  
  
"What exactly are you implying?" A cold voice cut through the air.  
  
Ryoutaro turned to see Len's irritated visage. A small, patronizing smile formed on his face. "Oh, nothing, nothing at all…I just figured that you'd be so afraid of your performance level slipping due to missing a couple hours of your precious, desperately needed practice, that you wouldn't dare come."  
  
The irritation on Len's face increased. Before he could open his mouth to retort, Kahoko quickly stepped between them.  
  
"Now, now, since everyone's here, let's enjoy the festival, shall we?" she asked, attempting to pacify them.  
  
"Yeah! I think they're doing a stage play. There's a ton of different booths for food right by it, so why don't we do that first?" Kazuki suggested enthusiastically.  
  
Azuma nodded in agreement. "If there are no further objections, then shall we go?"  
  
Everyone grabbed food from the various booths before sitting down in the folding chairs for the performance.  
  
"Itadakimasu!" they called out before beginning to eat. Shouko just managed to finish her yakisoba before the play began.  
  
All of them knew the story of "The Princess and the Cowherd," but the kids that were putting on the play were so adorable, you couldn't help but watch. They all let themselves get caught up in the story.

* * *

**Considering that this is the 3rd chapter, I thought initially that a chapter title like "The Beginning" would be kind of weird, but in a way it fits. This is the beginning of the fateful night after all. I hope you like my presentation of the story of "The Princess and the Cow Herder" in the next chapter! It's what Tanabata is all about. (^_^)**   
  
**Writing Len and Ryoutaro bickering is fun. I wish I had more opportunity to do so sometimes, but I don't think I'd be able to write lengthy arguements, so I'll take what I can get! *laughs***


	4. The Princess and the Cowherd

"Long, long ago, there was a girl named Orihime. She was the daughter of the ruler of the heavens and wove beautiful cloth by the banks of the Milky Way," the narrator read.  
  
The curtain opened to show a little girl sitting by a silvery river at a loom. The little girl was so cute, even Len found himself admiring her.  
  
"Waah! She's so cute!" Kahoko whispered to Shouko. "I want to give her a hug!"  
  
Shouko giggled and nodded in understanding.  
  
"Orihime's father loved the cloth she made, so she worked very hard to weave it. Day after day she sat by the Milky Way and wove. As she grew older though, Orihime became sad because her work prevented her from falling in love. As she wove her cloth, she looked down at the Earth and saw other couples meeting and falling in love, but it seemed that she herself was doomed to be alone."  
  
The little girl looked so sad that Shouko's heart went out to her. Deep down inside she knew that this was just a story, but it was sad just the same.  
  
"Eventually, her father learned of her plight and searched the sky to find a suitable man for his daughter."  
  
Everyone giggled as the little boy who was the king came onto the stage looking high and low. He was dressed in a robe that was a little too long and had white, long whiskers and a long, flowing beard. He was adorable.  
  
"Finally, the king found Hikoboshi, the cow herder that lived on the opposite side of the Milky Way."  
  
The little boy finally came upon the cow herder. Shouko started for a second as the women in the audience squealed with delight. The boy reminded her of a young Keiichi. Taking a sidelong look at the boy seated next to her, she felt herself blush slightly remembering the strange sensation his touch had caused a few days previous.  
  
"Because Hikoboshi was a hard worker and of upstanding character, the king decided to introduce his daughter to him. It was love at first sight."  
  
Everyone gave a happy sigh as the two children hugged each other.  
  
"Since his daughter was so happy, the two were soon married, but trouble soon arose. The two were so in love, they completely neglected their work!"  
  
The two children played together and laughed together.  
  
"Orihime never wove, and Hikoboshi was so distracted, the cows wandered all over the heavens. The king was so upset, that he separated them on opposite sides of the Milky Way."  
  
Although it was not a funny scene, the comical way the little king kicked the mini Keiichi over to the side of the river caused a few titters among the crowd.  
  
"Orihime was so heartbroken she cried day and night by the banks of the Milky Way, pining for her beloved husband."  
  
The little girl sat by the silver river and lowered her head, pretending to cry.  
  
"Seeing his beloved daughter's distress made the king very sorry for what he had done, but if they were together, they would neglect their duties. Finally, the king came up with a solution."  
  
The little king tottered over to the little girl. "Please don't cry. I had to separate you two because you never did any work. But if you do your work properly, then I will allow you two to meet every year on the 7th day of the 7th month."  
  
"Overjoyed, the couple set to work again. They worked very hard to make sure that they would be able to see each other again. Soon the fateful day came. Orihime was so excited that she hurried to the river."  
  
The little girl half-skipped over to the river eagerly.  
  
"But then she stopped. For there was no way to cross the river! Orihime looked high and low, but could find no way to cross the Milky Way that separated them. In despair she wept bitterly."  
  
The girl looked stunned and then collapsed and pretended to cry again.  
  
"Her crying attracted the attention of some magpies."  
  
Six children dressed up like magpies walked onto the stage. Everyone grinned at their cute costumes.  
  
"What is wrong Princess?" a magpie asked.  
  
"Yes, why are you crying, Princess?" the second echoed.  
  
"M-My beloved is waiting for me on the other side of the Milky Way because this is the only day of the year that we can meet, but…but there is no way to cross the river!" she cried.  
  
"There, there, don't cry," the third magpie cooed.  
  
"We'll help you," the fourth piped up cheerfully.  
  
"R-Really?" she asked hopefully.  
  
"Of course Princess! We'll form a bridge for you. Follow us!" the fifth magpie responded.  
  
Everyone cheered as Orihime crossed the magpie bridge and ran into the arms of Hikoboshi. The couple gratefully thanked the magpies as they flew away. The last magpie turned to the couple and stated, "From now on, every year we'll come and help you if we can Princess!"  
  
"And since that day, on the 7th day of the 7th month if one looks up high in the clear night sky, you can see the annual miracle meeting of the two lovers, Orihime and Hikoboshi."

* * *

**And so ends our detour! It's a sweet story, and it plays into the story quite a bit, especially in later chapters. But now you know what Tanabata is about! (^_^)**


	5. Stuck

The crowd swelled as everyone got up to head back toward the other festivities that were going on.  
  
"Don't forget to write a tanzaku before you leave!" the narrator called out. "There are booths stationed all over the festival!"  
  
Making a mental note to remember to stop by a tanzaku booth, Shouko followed Kahoko out toward the food booths. The crowd swelled a couple of times around her, causing her to momentarily lose sight of her friend, but Kahoko's flaming red hair was easy to spot, so she usually found her again within seconds. When they finally reached the edge of the crowd, Shouko sighed in relief. Then, remembering the instructions after the play, she turned to ask Kahoko if she wanted to look for one of the booths, and came face to face with a complete stranger with flaming red hair and a purple yukata.  
  
 _Oh no! Who is this? Where are Kaho-senpai and the others? How am I going to find them?_  
  
She stood there, panicking as the noise of the festival grew louder and louder. The noise seemed to press in on her, whirling around and around, making her feel ill. Just as she was about to cry, she heard a familiar voice come from right behind her.  
  
"Fuyuumi-san…where are…the others…?"  
  
"Shimizu-kun!" she cried in relief. Despite herself she began to cry, she was so glad to not be alone anymore.  
  
"Fuyuumi-san…why are you crying…?" Keiichi asked concerned.  
  
She gasped for breath, trying to stop her uncontrollable torrent of tears, but she couldn't. So she just shook her head and cried. When she finally began to regain some control over herself, she felt something soft touch her cheek lightly. She looked up, startled and met his eyes. He solemnly offered her the handkerchief that he had just used.  
  
"Th-Thank you Shimizu-kun," she whispered gratefully, dabbing her eyes and face with the cloth. When she was done, she offered it to him, but he didn't seem to notice her at first. She blushed and stood there awkwardly for a few seconds before piping up embarrassedly, "Uh, umm, Shi-Shimizu-kun…your handkerchief…"  
  
"Oh…thank you…" he nodded and accepted his handkerchief before his eyes focused elsewhere.  
  
There was another pregnant, uncomfortable pause before Shouko turned to look for the others.  
  
 _I wonder where they could be…They couldn't have gone too far, right? They wouldn't leave us, would they? No! Kaho-senpai would never abandon us like that! There's got to be a way to find them._  
  
"Fuyuumi-san…?"  
  
"Hmm…?" she looked up from her thoughts and was struck by the strange, ethereal look he was giving her.  
  
"Would you…like to light…some fireworks…?"

* * *

**Ooh! I wonder what will happen now? One chapter left, and I promise that it's full of Fuyuumi x Shimizu. (^_^)**   
  
**Oh, I should probably explain what tanzaku are since they'll figure prominently in the story later. Tanzaku are little slips of paper that people write wishes on and tie to bamboo branches for Tanabata. Originally, these slips were used to wish for the night to be clear. Legend had it that if it was cloudy on Tanabata, then the magpies wouldn't be able to help Orihime and Hikoboshi, so that they'd need to wait another year. But now, people just make wishes on them. A lot of times they're things like good grades or better handwriting. I personally think that might be because they're displayed for the whole world to see and it would be embarrassing to write something personal.**


	6. Fireworks

_"Would you…like to light…some fireworks…?"_  
  
"Eh?" Shouko asked in surprise and confusion.  
  
 _Doesn't he want to find the others?_  
  
Keiichi looked beyond the booths toward the lake. "It's…a nice night…isn't it…? Somehow…it makes me want…to light fireworks…"  
  
Shouko turned to look in the same direction. A small smile slowly crept over her face. The bustle of the people around her seemed to fade and finally disappear altogether, as she watched the fireflies dance in the grass near the water. The full moon cast its enchanting reflection upon the placid water. As she watched a feeling of peace and tranquility washed over her. "Yes," she agreed, quietly taking in the scene. "It is a nice night for lighting fireworks, isn't it?"  
  
They smiled at each other briefly before Keiichi turned to head back toward the entrance. Although they never quite walked together, he made sure that he didn't lose her. He always paused and looked back every so often to make sure she could see him. When they finally pulled away from the crowd, they headed to a nearby convenience store and bought fireworks. She was surprised to see him head back toward the festival, but followed him quietly.  
  
 _I wonder where he's going._  
  
They suddenly made a right and took a darker path. She unconsciously moved closer to him so she wouldn't lose him. She wasn't afraid of the dark, but the idea of being left alone on the unfamiliar, dark path gave her a pause. Even if they didn't walk together, his presence was assuring. They slowly made their way down the path winding here and there until they found themselves near the water. He moved over to some gravel on the beach shore and stood for a minute, gazing at the lake. She moved forward and stood beside him, silently taking in the night scene.  
  
Keiichi smiled quietly at her before crouching down to start the fireworks. He peeled open the packaging and took out a stick. He quietly offered it to her. She crouched down next to him and nodded in thanks as she accepted it. After pulling one out for himself, he took the lighter he had bought out of the bag and lit his, then hers. They sat quietly, intently watching the sparklers. The golden sparks seemed to leap off the delicate, molten head as they held their sparklers vertically down. Shouko felt her eyes slowly drift from the mesmerizing lights to Keiichi's face.  
  
 _His face looks different when illuminated by the sparklers…Somehow, it seems kinder and gentler…_ She smiled quietly. _He looks more awake too. I wonder what he's thinking…_  
  
As if in answer to her thoughts, he suddenly broke the silence. "Did you know…that sparklers have been around for more than 80 years…?" His solemn blue-green eyes met her light pink for a split second before his sparkler went out. He examined his extinguished firework and murmured, "Somehow…it makes one a little sad, doesn't it…? They're like life…beautiful, yet brief…"  
  
Shouko whispered back solemnly, "They're like golden tear droplets, aren't they?"  
  
Keiichi smiled back and nodded. As she went back to intently watching the bright sparks drip off of her sparkler, he admired her. He felt himself lean in a little closer, wanting to be nearer to her.  
  
Shouko pulled her eyebrows in slightly. _I don't know why, but I feel…strange for some reason...There's something…I don't know exactly, but I feel like something's nagging at my senses just outside of my periphery. What in the world could it be?_ She turned her head and met Keiichi's eyes. Her breath caught as she saw herself reflected in his blue-green pools. _Shi-Shimizu-kun…? Why…?_  
  
The lights went out.

* * *

**Oooh! I wonder what'll happen now? (^_^) So…I know I said at the end of the previous chapter that there would only be one more chapter, but…I lied…there'll be more. I hope no one is too upset. (^_^)**   
  
**The particular fireworks that Keiichi and Shouko have lit are called "senkou hanabi." It is a traditional Japanese firework that has been around a long time. My inspiration for this chapter came from a couple of songs, mostly[Ai Otsuka's "Kingyo Hanabi"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=culFcuiDzvc) and partially from [RYTHEM's "Hotarubi."](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAhCRyDSRpU) Both songs sort of helped me get into the traditional Japanese summer mood so to speak. Oh, here's [a video of senkou hanabi](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ltlbs6K7-gk) so you can get a better idea of what Keiichi and Shouko were staring at too.  
**


	7. The Truth

"Fuyuumi-san…?"  
  
"Uh, Y-Yes, Shimizu-kun?" she stammered. Her heart hammered in her chest.  
  
 _His eyes…What was that look in his eyes?_  
  
"Would you like another sparkler…?"  
  
"Oh, umm…yes, yes please."  
  
They repeated their earlier exchange, albeit with a bit more trembling and nervousness on her part, and crouched, watching the dancing sparks.  
  
She surreptitiously glanced at him. Their eyes met. She quickly averted her eyes, a light pink creeping over her cheeks.  
  
She looked again. His eyes unwaveringly met hers. She ducked her head, her blush deepening.  
  
A third time she turned her eyes to him. Again blue-green met light pink. But this time, she resisted the impulse to turn her face away. As they held their gaze, her face progressively turned redder and redder.  
  
Suddenly their sparklers both went out, dowsing them in darkness. Shouko took the opportunity to hide her now beet-red face. She never suspected how lovely she looked bathed in the moonlight.  
  
"Fuyuumi-san…" Keiichi murmured dreamily.  
  
"Y-Yes, Shimizu…kun?"  
  
"Have you written your tanzaku yet…?"  
  
"Oh! Uh, N-No, actually. H-Have you?"  
  
"No…I haven't either…Shall we go do so…?"  
  
"Yes…"  
  
They quietly cleaned up their sparklers and headed back down the moonlit path. Shouko was so absorbed in her thoughts that she bumped lightly into Keiichi's back.  
  
"Oh! I-I'm so sorry!" she cried, almost leaping back.  
  
He turned and smiled at her. "I didn't want you to get lost so I waited…" He looked ready to laugh a little. "I guess I waited…a little too long…"  
  
"Ah…" She felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment.  
  
"It's not…too much farther…" He was slowly returning to his normal, sleepy self.  
  
They made their way back to the festival. As they entered, Shouko struggled to keep up with Keiichi. The crowd had grown as the night progressed. Suddenly, the crowd around Shouko swelled, sweeping her along.  
  
"Ah!" she cried, flailing as she tried to keep from falling. A hand suddenly grasped hers and managed to pull her out of the crowd.  
  
"Th-Thank you!" she thanked her unknown savior, breathing heavily. She looked up to meet Keiichi's blue-green eyes.  
  
"The tanzaku…are over there…Fuyuumi-san…" He pointed, unfazed by the fact that he was holding her hand. "Let's…slowly walk…together…"  
  
She nodded in embarrassment and followed him as they slowly wove their way through the crowd. Every so often, she'd glance down at her hand, half-expecting him to drop it at any moment, but he didn't. As they continued to weave through the crowd, she kept her eyes on him.  
  
Her heart raced and her cheeks flushed pink. She knew that he was only holding her hand because she had already demonstrated that she was incapable of keeping up with him, but…she couldn't deny that somewhere deep, deep down, she wished that it was for a different reason. She had had a crush on him for a while, but he had seemed interested in Kaho-senpai. There was no comparison between someone as wonderful as her senpai and her, so she kept quiet, choosing to admire him from afar while steadily burying her unrequited feelings for him. She thought she had been doing a good job too, until that electric touch the other day showed her just how wrong she was. While she could lie to her head, her heart knew the truth. All that time she hadn't been getting over him, she had been steadily falling more in love with him.  
  
And the events of the night had revived a tiny little flame of hope in her heart: a flame that she believed had been snuffed out long ago when she first came to believe that Kahoko held the golden-haired boy's affection. Despite her better judgment, she was allowing herself to hope that she hadn't been imagining the tender way he had looked at her, to hope that the kindness and consideration he had been showing her tonight weren't simply because he was a kind person…to dream that he could care for her in return.  
  
They stopped. Keiichi turned to look at her and announced quietly, "We're here…Fuyuumi-san…"

* * *

**This is the second to the last chapter, so we're almost at the end! Thank you for reading! I don't have any new cultural aspects to comment on this time, but I'm glad that people have been enjoying learning about Tanabata!**


	8. The Miracle of Tanabata

"Huh?" Shouko looked up in surprise. Connected by their hands, they had finally made their way to a tanzaku-writing booth. She had been so engrossed in her thoughts, she hadn't taken any note of her surroundings.  
  
Keiichi let go of her hand as he went to write his wish. He bent over and wrote in a solemn, thoughtful manner before moving over to the large bamboo and tying his tanzaku to a branch. He then looked over expectantly at her.  
  
Realizing how silly she must look, spacing out with the brush in her hand, Shouko blushed and bent her head to her task. For a few seconds she stared at the paper blankly.  
  
 _What do I want to wish for? Wishing for good grades seems a little trivial, but…I'm really not sure…_  
  
She snuck a peek at the golden-haired boy who was patiently waiting. Looking back at her blank tanzaku she felt herself tremble slightly. She knew what she wanted to wish for, but the question was whether she was bold enough to make such a wish. Looking up at the sky, she saw the stars Altair and Vega together.  
  
 _This whole festival celebrates the love of Hikoboshi and Orihime. They worked hard to find love. I need to gain courage and strength from their legend. I'm not sure what river separates Shimizu-kun and me, but…but maybe, with the two lovers watching over us, like them, we'll be able to meet on Tanabata._  
  
Smiling shyly, she wrote, "To be able to confess my feelings to Keiichi Shimizu." Slightly scandalized by her boldness at writing something so explicit on her tanzaku, she hurriedly ran over to the bamboo to tie it as high as she could reach. She strained on her tip-toes to tie the tanzaku to an offending branch that was just a little too high. A pair of hands suddenly reached out of nowhere and securely tied her tanzaku to its branch. Whirling around, she found herself face-to-face with Keiichi.  
  
He smiled a little bit, gazing up at the sky. Shouko panicked inside. Had he seen her wish? She felt ready to die of embarrassment.  
  
"Fuyuumi-san…"  
  
"Uh, Y-Yes?" She brought herself back to Earth.  
  
"My tanzaku…is the blue one…on that branch…Would…you…like to…read it…?"  
  
She opened her mouth to decline, but when his eyes met hers, she slowly closed it and nodded, turning to walk toward the specified location. There was something about his eyes that compelled her to go and see it. When she reached the proper location, she looked up, her eyes searching for the blue slip of paper. A light breeze rippled through the branches, causing many of the tanzaku to flutter. A flash of blue caught her eye. She squinted slightly, struggling to read the fluttering slip of paper.  
  
 _My…My wish is…My wish is for…My wish is for…my girlfriend…My wish is for…to become my girlfriend…My wish is for Shouko Fuyuumi to become my girlfriend._  
  
Her eyes widened in shock. She turned to look at Keiichi in disbelief. His questioning eyes gazed back at hers. Her eyes drifted back to the tanzaku. She shyly lowered her eyes, her cheeks turning a light pink.  
  
Keiichi slowly walked over to her and asked quietly, "Did you…find it…Fuyuumi-san…?"  
  
"Y-Yes," she breathed.  
  
"Being with you…is very calming…Your music…is light and soothing…" He looked her straight in the eye. "You've worked very hard…haven't you…?" He closed his eyes and smiled. "You've really been pushing yourself to go further…I…really admire you…" He smiled down at her again.  
  
The whole time he was talking, Shouko felt her face grow redder and redder. She hadn't realized that he thought that way about her and her music.  
  
"Maybe…it was impertinent…my wish…" he murmured.  
  
She felt her heart sink as she hid the hurt and confusion on her face. Here she had thought he was confessing to her and he was apologizing! She bit her lip to help fight back the tears.  
  
His blue-green eyes met hers and softened. "Truthfully…I only just realized…my feelings…" he whispered. "The other day…when we touched…I felt something strange…and new…"  
  
She blushed, remembering the feelings she had felt at that time.  
  
"I thought about it…for a long time…Even…when I played my cello…that time would play over…and over in my mind… It was…the strangest thing…" He smiled, "But tonight…I found my answer…When we lit our fireworks together…I understood…" He smiled at her with a dreamy look in his eyes. "I like you…Fuyuumi-san…"  
  
Her heart swelled happily. He did like her. He took a small step closer to her and looked down into her beautiful eyes.  
  
"So…even if I've only just realized it…Will you be my girlfriend…?"  
  
Joyfully she nodded. Blushing, she whispered, "I-I don't think your wish was impertinent Shimizu-kun…I'm glad you didn't wait." She looked up at him again with a sweet smile. She was overjoyed.  
  
Keiichi looked happily at her and took her hand in his. She looked back up at him after glancing at their hands and smiled back at him blissfully.  
  
*BOOM!* The first of the fireworks splashed across the sky. Boy and girl turned smilingly to watch the display over the river.  
  
Like Hikoboshi and Orihime who used magpies to bridge the river between them, the hearts of Keiichi Shimizu and Shouko Fuyuumi were finally bridged through their mutual confessions that fluttered in the breeze. Only on Tanabata, could such a miracle occur.

* * *

**And that's the end of my first Shouko Fuyuumi x Keiichi Shimizu fic! Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!**   
  
**I think I mentioned it in passing earlier, but Hikoboshi is the star Altair and Orihime is the star Vega. I guess in the late summer, they are high in the night sky, so they don't actually "meet" per se. Either way, it is a cute story. (^_^)**


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